Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Philippians 2:14–15

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. (NRSVUE)

Observation:

Believers are to live and act in a way that reflects the Lord. Paul says that they are to do all things—ALL THINGS—without murmuring and arguing. These words don’t stand alone. Just before this, Paul has described the humility of Jesus Christ, who emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, and became obedient even to death on a cross. Then Paul reminds the Philippians that God is at work within them.

So when Paul tells them to stop murmuring and arguing, he is describing what life together ought to look like when God’s children are being formed into the likeness of Christ.

Paul knows that the world is watching these believers, but he is also concerned about what is happening within them. They are to be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish.” There should be a family resemblance. In the midst of a “crooked and perverse generation,” their lives are to look different.

The result is a people who “shine like stars in the world.”

Application:

In the first few centuries of Christianity, many people were drawn to the faith because of the way Christians lived their lives. They were different from the surrounding society and, just as Paul said, they shone like stars in the world.

Murmuring and arguing are nothing new in the life of the church. Evidently they’ve been around for a couple of thousand years, and Paul understood how detrimental they could be. Yes, they could damage the witness of the church, but beyond that, I think he was concerned about what murmuring and arguing would do to the people engaged in them.

There is a trajectory that can come from persistent negativity. Once we begin murmuring about other people, it becomes easier to see everything they do through that lens. Criticism leads to more criticism. We begin pointing fingers at what others are doing wrong and can become increasingly blind to what is happening within our own hearts. Jesus warned us about seeing the speck in someone else’s eye while failing to notice the log in our own.

Maybe that’s one reason Paul’s words are so important. Instead of continually searching for blame in other people’s lives, we can invite the Holy Spirit to search our own.

And what about being “innocent”? When we engage in murmuring and arguing, it’s surprisingly easy to say things we didn’t intend to say, exaggerate what happened, or even slip a few half-truths into the story.

Here’s an embarrassing confession. Years ago, I called a consumer line to complain about something that had gone wrong. While talking to the man on the phone, I said something about having been on hold for ten minutes. He promptly corrected me with the actual time. It had been less than that.

I was embarrassed.

I had exaggerated in the heat of my frustration and complaining. Once we get on a roll, sometimes it’s really hard to pull back. That happens in marriage sometimes too…but that’s another story. 🙂

It’s God’s desire that His children shine like stars in this world. I’m deeply saddened at times by what I see on social media among God’s children. Christians will have political and theological disagreements, and some of those disagreements really matter. But the way we disagree also matters. When our public conversations become characterized by contempt, accusation, murmuring, and endless arguing, I’m not sure anyone looking at us can see Jesus very clearly.

And there is another danger. It isn’t only what our arguing does to them.

It’s what it does to us.

Paul wants something better for God’s children. He wants a people so deeply formed by Christ that even the way they disagree bears a family resemblance to Jesus.

Then, in the midst of a dark world, they will shine like stars.

“Do ALL things without murmuring and arguing.”

Prayer:

Lord, help me to take these words to heart. Search me by Your Spirit and reveal the places where murmuring, arguing, and criticism are shaping my heart. Form me into the likeness of Christ, so that the way I speak and live will reflect You. May Your children shine like stars in this world. Amen.